Care and Upkeep 207 



to fulfil the same purpose. Thorough clean- 

 ing does not necessarily mean the complete 

 extermination of all herbage appearing above 

 ground, but may include cropping the growth 

 close to the surface so as still to form, with 

 the cuttings, a protective mantle against the 

 drying-lip action of the sun's rays whilst 

 reducing the consequent denutrition of the 

 soil from an over-crop of weeds. 



Inquiries are constantly being received by 

 us re cultivators for coco-nut groves, since we 

 published a review in Tropical Life for 

 September, 1911 (pp. 179-180), of Mr. Dean 

 C. Worcester's pamphlet on coco-nuts, so it 

 may not be amiss to include the answers sent 

 out in reply to same, in case others out in 

 the Philippines or elsewhere require similar 

 information. 



" Most of the unforested lands," writes Mr. 

 Worcester, "suitable for coco-nuts plants in 

 the Philippines are covered with the tall, coarse 

 grass, known as cogon, or with a species of 

 bamboo grass which closely resembles sugar- 

 cane in appearance, cogon grass being by far 

 the commoner of the two. In order to clean 

 cogon land, the grass must first be burnt off, 

 and the land be ploughed (a strong plough 

 would be needed to withstand the root growth), 

 and then harrowed repeatedly so as to get rid 

 of the roots completely. If this is not done 

 the cogon will promptly re-establish itself. If 

 native ploughs and harrows are used, the land 



